COLUMBUS – Focusing on commercial vehicle safety and homeland security issues, the Ohio State Highway Patrol will participate in Roadcheck 2005, which promotes 72 hours of continuous commercial vehicle inspections throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 7 through June 9.

A primary emphasis of Roadcheck 2005 is to promote both safety and security on North American highways through the inspection of commercial vehicles and drivers. Ohio State Highway Patrol truck and bus safety inspectors will be on the job during the 72-hour period checking vehicles and their drivers. In addition to at least 20 inspection sites along major Ohio highways, roving patrols will inspect vehicles and drivers traveling other highways.

Roadcheck 2005 also will encourage safety belt compliance by commercial vehicle drivers. According to recent studies, only about 48 percent of commercial vehicle drivers comply with the federal law requiring them to wear a safety belt.

“Although certified safety inspectors perform this work every day on Ohio roads, Roadcheck 2005 places a special emphasis on commercial vehicle and driver safety issues aimed at saving lives on Ohio highways,” Major Robert Brooks, Commander of the Patrol’s Office of Licensing and Commercial Standards, said. “In addition to ensuring commercial vehicles and other vehicles continue to share the roads safely, through Roadcheck 2005 we will also continue our focus on the importance of continuing security efforts that have been in place since September 11, 2001, to make Ohio highways safer and more secure for everyone.

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) sponsors the annual Roadchecks, with participation by local law enforcement agencies, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Transport Canada, Research and Special Programs Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration, and the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation (Mexico).

During last year's Roadcheck in Ohio, troopers and motor carrier enforcement inspectors conducted 1,795 inspections and issued 4,640 safety violations. From those inspections, 446 vehicles, and 76 drivers were placed out of service for various violations.

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